His heart kept pounding, wild, like it wanted to break free. It banged against his ribs, hard and fast. Around the corners of his eyes, everything flickered - reddish, fading, sharp again. The ground seemed to lean, as though pulled by some wrong force. Dizziness crashed in, heavy, making him stumble. He wobbled but stayed up, barely missing a fall onto the broken pavement.
The earth shook. Not from a regular tremor - more like it sensed his presence. Moving along with his pulse. As if every building, street, and alley knew a truth about him he hadn't figured out yet.
A warmth surged under his flesh.
Not fire.
Power.
A type he'd never come across until now.
His hoodie flapped loose, colors melting till they became a rich violet, replacing the faded green without a trace. He gasped when pain climbed his back like claws. Light poured from his eyes, spreading until both irises burned bright and hollow.
And his hair—
It twitched, like a burst of noise, shrinking fast - sides turning crisp, almost like the change sliced through it right then.
He stayed quiet. No words were necessary. That shift spoke on his behalf.
Overhead, the girl with green hair hung in the air, teeth clenched, energy sparking out in wild bursts. Because she was tense, her squad of crimson bots moved fast - surging ahead together, steel legs punching through pavement as they raced at him.
Asap dipped his chin bit by bit - then tugged the hood up over his hair.
One small move seemed to say everything.
The machines came from all sides. Asap stayed still just a moment longer - just until each was close enough to touch with one exhale.
Next, he moved ahead while swinging at empty space.
He missed both. Instead, he struck the gap separating them.
The blast ripped through space like it was shredding paper. Yet the machines didn't get a second to split open. Instead, they vanished - wiped out by a flash of crimson shards, gone before touching dirt.
Silence dropped onto the road like a heavy coat.
The girl shouted so loud it broke the silence.
Purple sparks shot out from her hands, zapping backward in a wild curve. That hit Asap right at his back, flashing bright purple light down the road. His hoodie tore open, flames eating whatever fabric stayed, yet once the smoke faded -
He just stood there, calm as ever.
The leftover sparks twisted close, like mist... yet slipped right under. Soaked up. Used up. Vanished.
Her eyes shot open, shaking with a mix of anger and shock. Just then, that strength - hers alone - slipped away through someone else's grip.
Tears touched her skin the moment she started weeping, though it took a beat to notice.
Asap stayed facing forward, silent. Instead of talking, he let his arm swing loose and moved off, his presence pulsing faintly in the air like a rhythm trailing behind.
He never turned around to see her again.
Then seeing him go -
she understood why.
He stopped resisting her.
He'd become a memory she couldn't quite hold onto anymore.